Category: Transformers

 

By Simon Furman, Barry Kitson, Geoff Senior & Will Simpson (Titan Books)
ISBN 1-84023-789-9

Within these pages you will find high-quality reprints from the earliest days of the British Transformers weekly comic (issues 45-50 and 74-77) plus a ten page extravaganza originally seen in the 1986 Annual.

Fast, pacy adventures produced by what are now household names – at least in comic collectors’ houses. Full of chases and action, this is a light-weight treat for the young at heart.

An ideal starting point for new readers and a chance for young dads to get all nostalgic with heir own kids in advance of the upcoming movie spectacular.

© 2004 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

 

By Bob Budiansky, Jose Delbo and Frank Springer (Titan Books)
ISBN 1-84023-955-7

Following directly on from Trial by Fire (ISBN 1-84023-950-6), this volume reprints issues #40-42 and #44-45 US Marvel monthly comic of the 1980s. The beleaguered Autobots seek to resurrect their deceased leader whilst dealing with the twin debuts of new character – and of course, toys – The Pretenders and The Powermasters!

The histrionic hokum is superbly augmented by tantalising behind-the-scenes features which might be the spark that ignites future Kirbys, Moores or Millers. Nice thought, no?

There just aren’t enough entry level comics for kids these days and it’s always a pleasure to see solid tales competently told and delineated. It’s great that comics have “grown up”, but we must treasure the golden age of reading, which is of course, seven to ten years old. Buy for your kids but don’t forget to check them out yourself.

© 2004 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

 

By Bob Budiansky, Jose Delbo and Frank Springer (Titan Books)
ISBN 1-84023-950-6

The Titan Books collections of the Transformers tales which took America by storm more than twenty years ago are worth another look as the Major Motion Picture looms large. Since the mutable mechanoids are experiencing something of a revival the publisher’s recent collections of the best of the UK comic adventures are also sound reading choices for the younger reader, and I’ll get to those too.

Trial by Fire reprints the four issue miniseries that introduced the “Headmasters” line of toys to the reading universe and numbers #38-39 from their US Marvel monthly comic of the 1980s. Fortress Maximus brings his war-weary band of Autobots to the utopian world of Nebulos, tragically leading the marauding Decepticons of the evil Scorponok there too.

The cosmic civil war of the Evil Decepticons and benevolent Autobots was the entry level strip for many of today’s most dedicated comics fans – and some professionals – and hopefully they can work their simplistic magic for the next generation too!

© 2004 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

 

By Simon Furman & various (Titan Books)
ISBN 1-84576-062-X

This digest-size (they’re calling them Manga Format these days) collection of the British-originated strip adventures of the shape-changing robots from the stars features tales from the weekly comic (issues # 230-233, 241-242, 255-260 and 287-289) published by Marvel UK in the 1980s and 1990s.

Simon Furman seems inextricably linked to the fortunes of the warring Autobots and Decepticons, and in conjunction with artists Jeff Anderson, Staz Johnson, Pete Knifton, Geoff Senior, John Stokes, Lee Sullivan and Andrew Wildman he concocts page after page of dizzying all-ages action for the young at heart.

The main body of the book deals with the manipulations of a mysterious mechanical mastermind who is trying to subvert the will of various Autobots by invading their dreams. Over six chapters Prowl, Silverbolt, Sunstreaker, Ironhide and Wheeljack face individual traumas before that insidious plot is defeated and the secret villain revealed.

The book’s theme is continued in a pastiche of Raymond Chandler’s classic Noir thriller ‘The Big Sleep’ as robotic private eye Nightbeat and his assistant Siren find themselves solving the mystery of an unidentified body on a beach in ‘The Big Shutdown’. The Autobot Micro-masters star in ‘A Small War’ on the home planet of Cybertron, and Thunderwing leads an ‘Assault on the Ark’, before the concluding tale of an ambitious (human) reporter out of his depth, closes the book on a lighter note in ‘Inside Story’.

Although originally targeted at younger children these tales are full of in-jokes and crafty wit, as well as the requisite action and ubiquitous strident name-checks and dramatic posturing, which makes them a comfortable read for any fan of the brand or comic strips in general.

© 2006 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.